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I’M KELVIN YU, AND I WAS BORN IN CHINA.
I’VE BEEN IN THE STATES FOR ABOUT 46 YEARS,
AND I AM A LIVER RECIPIENT
BECAUSE OF MY HEPATITIS B DISEASE.
AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE AND DANDY
UNTIL BACK IN 1996.
ONE DAY AT WORK,
I THREW UP BLOOD,
NOTHING BUT BLOOD.
AND THEN THE DOCTOR WAS ABLE TO SAVE ME.
HOWEVER, THEY SAID THAT "YOU NEED A NEW ORGAN.
YOU ARE AT THE END STAGE OF HEPATITIS B LIVER DISEASE."
MY NAME IS CHRIS DOMINE.
I’M A FILIPINO-AMERICAN
WHO HAD A KIDNEY TRANSPLANT IN 2001.
SO IN EFFECT, THEY SAID THAT
"YOU HAVE END STAGE
"RENAL DISEASE,
WHICH MEANS THAT IT IS IRREVERSIBLE."
SHE WAS TRYING TO BE DIPLOMATIC AND EVERYTHING,
BUT BASICALLY WHAT IT BOILED DOWN TO IS
"IF YOU DON’T GET A KIDNEY TRANSPLANT
AND IF YOU DON’T DO DIALYSIS, YOU ARE GOING TO DIE."
MY NAME IS YEAGES COWAN, AND I’M OF INDIAN DESCENT.
I WAS BORN IN SOUTH AFRICA.
I’VE BEEN IN THE UNITED STATES FOR 12 YEARS,
AND I AM A DOUBLE LUNG TRANSPLANT RECIPIENT.
IT WAS LABOR DAY WEEKEND.
WE WENT CYCLING, AND THEN THE NEXT MORNING,
I WAS COMPLETELY OUT OF BREATH.
I WAS ON OXYGEN FROM THAT DAY FORWARD.
I WAS VERY, VERY SICK,
AND THAT’S WHEN, I THINK--
I WAS IN HOSPITAL,
AND THEY LISTED ME FOR
THE TRANSPLANT IN 3 DAYS FLAT.
IT WAS QUITE A SCARY EXPERIENCE.
I’M ERNA NISHIME, AND I’M A FILIPINO-AMERICAN,
AND I’M A TRANSPLANT CARDIOLOGIST.
IMAGINE BEING SICK,
NOT FEELING WELL.
IMAGINE NOT BEING ABLE
TO WALK ACROSS THE ROOM
OR HAVING NO ENERGY
TO DO ANYTHING.
THAT’S WHAT A LOT OF OUR PATIENTS ARE LIKE
WHEN THEY’RE ON THE WAIT LIST.
VERY MISERABLE AND OF COURSE THE HOPE
OR THE HOPELESSNESS OF GETTING AN ORGAN TO BE TRANSPLANTED.
WITHOUT A NEW ORGAN, I WOULDN’T BE ABLE
TO SURVIVE MORE THAN 6 MONTHS.
PEOPLE WAIT UP TO TWO YEARS FOR LUNGS,
SINGLE LUNGS, DOUBLE LUNGS.
IT’S A LONG TIME,
BUT THE WAY THE LIST WORKS IS THAT UNFORTUNATELY
OR FORTUNATELY THE SICKER YOU ARE
THE HIGHER UP THE LIST YOU ARE.
SO BASICALLY YOU HAVE TO WAIT FOR THAT CALL.
YOU HAVE TO WAIT FOR THAT CALL,
AND THE PERSON SAYS THAT "WE HAVE A KIDNEY FOR YOU."
THAT IS THE ONE PATIENT COMMUNICATION
THAT I WANT TO HAVE,
AND WALKING INTO THEIR ROOM AND SAYING, "GUESS WHAT.
I GOT THE CALL. I HAVE A HEART FOR YOU."
THIS FOR THEM IS A CALLING FOR THEIR SECOND CHANCE.
ONE NIGHT, MIDNIGHT ACTUALLY, I GOT A CALL,
AND THE NURSE ON THE OTHER END SAYS,
"HEY, MR. YU. WE MAY HAVE AN ORGAN FOR YOU."
"THE LUNGS ARE HERE? REALLY?"
I STARTED PACKING.
I CALLED MY SIBLINGS AND MY MOM.
I SAID, "I’M GOING TO GET A KIDNEY!"
I WAS SO HAPPY AT THAT TIME BECAUSE THAT GAVE ME HOPE.
MY NAME IS CATHERINE LAN TRAN.
I’M VIETNAMESE.
I’M A DONOR’S WIFE
AND ALSO A DONOR’S MOM.
I MET THIS LADY WHO I HAD PURCHASED THINGS
FROM HER BEFORE, AND HER RIGHT EYE WAS ALL RED.
I ASKED HER WHAT HAD HAPPENED,
AND SHE SAID THAT THAT SHE WAS ALMOST BLIND ON THE RIGHT,
AND SOMEONE HAD DIED AND DONATED A CORNEA.
SO SHE HAD HER TRANSPLANTATION SURGERY
NOT TOO LONG BEFORE THAT,
BUT SHE WAS SMILING VERY HAPPILY,
AND SHE SAID, "THE REDNESS WILL GO AWAY,
BUT I CAN SEE YOU WITH MY EYES NOW."
AND WHEN I WAS ALONE IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM
WITH MY HUSBAND’S BODY THERE,
A PERSON CAME AND ASKED IF I WOULD DONATE HIS CORNEAS.
THE STORY AND THE PICTURES OF THIS LITTLE VIETNAMESE LADY
WHO I MET AT THE MARKET CAME RIGHT IN MY MIND,
AND I IMMEDIATELY SAID YES.
I KNOW RIGHT AWAY THERE WILL BE TWO PEOPLE
WHOSE SIGHT WILL BE RESTORED.
ONCE I WAS ABLE TO CONFIRM HIS DEATH,
IMMEDIATELY I SAID TO THE DOCTORS,
"WHAT DO YOU WANT OF MY SON’S BODY?
WHATEVER YOU WANT IS GIVEN."
EVEN THOUGH I HAVE NOT MET THE DONOR FAMILY
NOR THE LOOK OF THE DONOR,
IN MY HEART I AM ALWAYS SO THANKFUL
ABOUT THIS GREAT DEED THAT THEY HAVE DONE.
WHOEVER YOU ARE WHO GAVE ME THE KIDNEY,
MY DEEPEST THANKS AND GRATITUDE,
AND AS LONG AS I LIVE,
YOUR MEMORY WILL LIE WITH ME.
AND I AM GRATEFUL TO MY DONOR’S FAMILY.
IT’S A TOUGH DECISION TO MAKE.
RIGHT AFTER MY SON’S DEATH,
HIS COUSIN WAS GOING THROUGH HIS DESK.
THEY FOUND A PAPER THAT MY SON HAD WRITTEN
FOR HIS ENGLISH CLASS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII,
AND THE TITLE IS "ORGAN DONATIONS."
AND AT THE LAST SENTENCE THAT HE REALLY WROTE
IN HIS PAPER IS "NOTHING CAN PREPARE ANYONE
"FOR THE DEATH OF A LOVED ONE,
"BUT PERHAPS KNOWING AHEAD OF TIME
"ABOUT THE WHOLE ORGAN DONATION PROCESS
CAN EASE THE PAIN A LITTLE,"
AND I BELIEVE THIS IS WHAT I’M DOING RIGHT NOW FOR HIM.
Chris: THERE ARE STILL PEOPLE WHO DON’T GET
THE TRANSPLANT THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE.
THESE PEOPLE DIE.
WE LOSE PATIENTS BECAUSE THERE’S
A DONOR SHORTAGE.
THERE’S JUST NOT ENOUGH ORGANS
TO GO AROUND FOR THE NEED.
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE RELIGIOUS CONCERNS
ABOUT DONATING ORGANS.
IN THE ASIAN COMMUNITY, MOST OF THE OLDER GENERATION,
THEY DO NOT WANT TO TALK ABOUT ORGAN DONATION.
IN THE ASIAN FAMILIES, NO WAY.
YOU DON’T TALK ABOUT DEATH.
MAINLY FOR THE REASON OF THAT WHEN THEY DIE
THEY WANT TO HAVE ALL THEIR ORGANS
TO GO TO HEAVEN.
NOW MOST OF THE MONKS, THEY ENCOURAGE
AND THEY ACKNOWLEDGE
THE GREAT DEED OF ORGAN DONATION.
MOST MAJOR RELIGIONS CONSIDER THAT
THE FINAL ACT OF CHARITY.
HEAVEN DOESN’T NEED YOUR ORGANS.
YOU WANT THE ORGANS TO BE LEFT BEHIND ON EARTH
TO SAVE PEOPLE.
IF YOUR CHILDREN COME HOME AND START TALKING
ABOUT ORGAN DONATING, BE OPEN.
LISTEN TO THEM.
DON’T JUST SAY, "WE DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT."
PUSH THAT CULTURE AWAY A LITTLE BIT TO DECIDE
AND LISTEN TO YOUR CHILD.
THAT IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS
THAT YOU NEED TO LET YOUR FAMILY KNOW.
I STARTED EXERCISING, AND I FOUND OUT I CAN COMPETE.
THE 5Ks BECOME THE 10Ks BECOME THE HALF MARATHONS
BECOME THE MARATHONS.
I DID 50 MILES CYCLING, 100 MILES CYCLING,
200 MILES CYCLING, TRIATHLONS,
TRIATHLONS CULMINATING IN TWO IRONMANS.
YOUR WELL-BEING CHANGES, YOU KNOW, FROM LOSS OF HOPE
TO HOPE TO BETTER TIMES AHEAD.
10 YEARS AGO, I WAS ALMOST FATAL,
AND NOW I MARRIED MY WIFE, AND I HAD A SON.
I REALLY LOVE MY CHILD.
IF I HAD NOT RECEIVED NEW LUNGS,
I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO ANY OF THESE THINGS WITH MY CHILDREN.
I WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO VOLUNTEER AT THEIR SCHOOLS.
I WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO PUT THEM TO BED AT NIGHT.
I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO COOK.
I THINK YOU PROVIDE PEOPLE WITH THE QUALITY OF LIFE
THAT THEY ENJOYED BEFORE THEY GOT SICK,
AND I ALSO THINK THAT YOU PROVIDE THEM
WITH A NEW APPRECIATION FOR LIFE.
AS A TRANSPLANT RECIPIENT, YOU NEVER FORGET,
AND I DON’T THINK DONOR FAMILIES EVER FORGET EITHER.
EVERY YEAR, I CELEBRATE TWO BIRTHDAYS.
ONE IS MY ACTUAL BIRTHDAY.
ONE IS MY TRANSPLANT DAY.
WITHOUT THE LIVER TRANSPLANT,
I WOULD HAVE DIED 15 YEARS AGO.
I TREASURE LIFE EVERY DAY,
AND I LOVE MY KIDS, MY WIFE, MY FAMILY EVEN MORE.
SO EVERY DAY IS A NEW DAY FOR ME.
EVERY DAY IS A THANKFUL DAY FOR ME,
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE NEW LIFE
THAT I HAVE BEEN GIVEN.
I’M VERY SURE THEY’RE HAPPY
THAT I HAVE MADE THOSE DECISIONS.
IN FACT ONCE IN A WHILE, I WOULD SAY,
WELL, BOTH OF THEM ARE PROBABLY UP THERE
LAUGHING AND SAYING, "OH, MOM’S DOING IT AGAIN.
SHE’S TALKING ABOUT ORGAN DONATIONS AGAIN."
I’M VERY SURE THEY’RE HAPPY THAT I DID WHAT I DID.
DON’T WASTE WHAT YOU COULD GIVE
BECAUSE ONCE YOU DIE, YOU’RE GOING TO BE BURIED
OR YOU’RE GOING TO BE CREMATED RIGHT AWAY
WHEN ALL OF THESE ORGANS COULD BE ABLE TO HELP OTHERS,
ALL YOUR BEAUTIFUL TISSUES COULD BE ABLE
TO HELP OTHERS TO LIVE,
AND SO THEY CAN CONTINUE THEIR LIFE.
TRANSPLANT WORKS.
PEOPLE GET A SECOND CHANCE.
THE AIR--THE AIR YOU BREATHE, SOMETHING’S DIFFERENT.
[INHALES]
OH, I’M SO GRATEFUL TO BE ABLE TO BREATHE.
EVERY DAY IS A NEW DAY FOR ME.
EVERY DAY IS A THANKFUL DAY FOR ME.
PROBLEMS THAT COME IN, EH,
YOU DON’T WORRY ABOUT THAT ANYMORE.
YOU’RE LIVING!
YOU CAN CONTINUE TO DO SOMETHING,
SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY.
YOU HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE SOMEONE’S LIFE!
YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE WHO COULD BE ABLE
TO GIVE A GIFT,
WHICH IS A GIFT OF LIFE.